TMP Architecture was honored to accept the AIA Southwest Michigan Merit Award for the new Schoolcraft Elementary School. In lieu of an awards ceremony, representatives from AIA-SWMI visited individual firm locations to present winners with their awards.
Schoolcraft Elementary is a direct response to interactive visioning with the community and district. Areas of importance were varied, and the district used this feedback to develop a series of promises to deliver. The result was an inviting and stimulating environment for the entirety of Schoolcraft Community Schools.
Members of the AIA Southwest Michigan Jury commented,
“It has a thoughtful use of glass and natural lighting, showcasing durable materials and sustainable choices. It has well-executed interiors and appealing color schemes for an elementary school.”
Materials and shapes used on the building exterior were specifically chosen to blend with the surrounding residential and agricultural buildings in the community. Wood siding and large windows were selected to maximize light and provide a welcoming feel. The building’s interior design intentionally developed a sense of both community by fostering people & place, character & culture by evoking the community’s historic buildings and rural neighborhoods in the design schema. The agricultural environment of the community was pulled indoors through architectural and interior design as well as views through the large windows, emphasizing nature and the farming industry, connecting back to the outdoors and cultivating a growth mindset in students.
The two-story building is organized into two academic wings centrally connected at both levels by common spaces. Designed for modern learning, the school includes four sections per grade. Lower elementary students are located on the first floor and upper elementary students are on the second floor. Each grade area includes its own collaboration and group breakout spaces, reinforcing social interaction among peer students, and helping them build adaptable strategies through the variety of agile educational environments available in their learning communities.
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